Talking-machine



' w. c. MASON.

TALKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED III/IR. 23.}920.

1,382,373. Patented June 21, 1921.;

' 13 12 i/Qfnesses: 13 lnoenibr.

7 M'llz'am CJVason/ M @W M- UNITED STATES WILLIAM C. MASON, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

'TALKING-NLACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 21, 1921.

Application filed March 23, 1920. Serial No. 368,040.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. Mason, a citizen of the United States, residing in Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Talking-Niachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to disk talking machines in general, and more especially to means for controlling the operation of disk talking machines.

The present invention contemplates means for automatically releasing the turntable of a disk talking machine simultaneously with setting the reproducing needle; and means for automatically stopping the turntable of a disk talking machine; and means coiiperating to automatically release the turntable of a disk talking machine at one time and at another time to automatically stop the turntable of a disk talking machine.

The present invention "further conte mplates certain features of construction which will appear hereinafter.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmental perspective 01 a talking machine equipped with the present improved device. 1

Fig. 2 is a plan of one of the main parts of the device. 1

Figs. 3 and 1 are side and end elevations respectively of the part shown in Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are a plan and slde elevation respectively of the other main part of the device.

Fig. 7 is a plan and sectional view of the rubber band to be placed on the hub of the turntable.

' Fig. 8 is a detail elevational view showing the rubber band on the hub of the turntable.

In the embodiment illustrated, 1 is the ordinary platform of a talking machine above which the turntable is mounted to operate, the hub 2 for receiving such turntable extending upwardly through the opening 3 in the platform as shown. On this platform, there isalso mounted a bearing a for the horn 5 to the end of which in the usual manner is secured the reproducing drum 6 and needle 7.

as constituting part of the present improvement, an operating arm 8 is provided which is preferably equipped with a spring band 9 to be attached to the base of the horn 5 and clamped thereto by means of the bolt 10 so that the arm 8 will swing with the horn 5. The free end of the arm 8 is formed into the yoke 11 to receive the knurled roller 12 which is provided with conical ends 13, 13, one oil which engages in the stationary fiber bearing 14 and the other in the adjustable bearing 15. The adjustable hearing 15 is slidably mounted in the housing 16 and formed at the extreme end of the yoke 11 and rests against the compression spring 17 which in turn rests against the adjusting screw 1.8 which is tapped in the housing 16. Between the yoke 11 and the roller 12, extends the lead screw 19 to engage the roller 1.2. By means of the adjusting screw, the rotatable resistance of the'roller 12 may be adjusted to prevent it rolling on the lead screw under normal operating conditions.

On the platform 1, the back plate 20 is secured by means of the screws 21. At one en d of the back plate 20, there is formed the pivot 22 to receive the friction wheel 23, which is. so disposed relative to the hub 2 that its periphery will frictionally engage the rubber band 24. secured to the hub 2. On the friction wheel 23 there is formed the crown gear 25 surrounding the pivot 22. The pivot 22 is provided with a bearing 26 for the lead screw 19 which in turn is provided with a pinion 27 to mesh with the crown gear 25. One end of the lead screw 19 is provided with a collar 28 between which and the bearing 26 there is strained a spring 29 by means of which the pinion 27 on the lead screw will normally be maintained in contact with the bearing 26. On the back plate 20 there is provided a second bearing 30 for the other end of the lead screw l9. On the lead screw 19 to one side of the bearing 30 there is formed a limiting collar 31 for limiting axial displacement of the lead screw 19. On the other side of the bearing 30, the cam 32 is formed on the lead screw 19. The lead screw 19 carries a right hand thread having a pitch proportional to the threads per inch on the record, the length of the operating arm 8, the revolutions of the lead screw itself, the revolutions of the record, and the length of the horn 5-from the point of the reproducing needle 7, to the pivot of the horn..

i V and its other finger cooperate with the notch ping a turntable.

34 formed in the brake arm 35 which is pivoted to the back plate 20. The brake arm 35 is provided with a brake shoe 36 adapted to engagethe flange formed on the turntable in the usual manner for frictionally stop- The brake arm 36 has a finger portion 37 between which and the back plate 20 there is strained thetension spring'38. The'brake arm is also provided with a spring catch 39 which cooperates with the operating arm 8 to withdraw the brake shoe 36 out of engagement with the turntable into engagement with the latch 33. The latch 33 is normally strained to engage the brake arm 35 by means of the spiral spring'4c0.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows:

Assuming the brake shoe 36 to be in contact with the turntable and the operatin arm 8 in the starting position and engagec with the spring catch 39, then upon the reproducing needle being moved toward the center of the turntable, thebrake shoe 36 will be removed out of contact with the turntable and held in that position by'the, latch 33 resting in the recess 34: ot the brake arm '35, thus allowing the turntable to revolve, thereby automatically starting the operation, and causing thelead screw 19 and cam 32 to rotate by means of the gears 25 and 27,

the friction wheel 23 being driven by rolling against the friction band 24 on the hub 20f the turntable. On continuing to move the reproducing needle towardthe center of the turntable, the operating arm 8 will release the spring catch 39 thereby leaving the brake arm 35 free and solely anchored in position by the latch 33. It the reproducin needle is still moved toward the center of t e turntable and placed in any thread in the record, this thread in the record will move the reproducing needle and operating arm 8 toward the center of the turntable atthe same rate as the thread on the lead screw 19 tendsto move the operating arm 8, or the thread on the lead screw 19 may lag slightly behind the operating arm 8 thus keeping the pinion 27 against the bearing 26 and causing the roller 12 to rotate and preventing the cam 32 from tripping the latch 33. It at any in-' stant the reproducing needle 7 and operating arm 8 are prevented from moving towardthe center of the turntable, either by the needle being lifted from the thread in the record, or by coming to the last thread in the record or by moving the needle back toward the startingpoint, the slight pressure and 30,: thereby compressingspring 29 and shifting the cam 32 to such a position that less tha n'one revolution of the cam 32 will trip the latch 33 and release the brake arm 35 to swing its brake shoe 36 into contact with the turntable and stop its rotary motion.

It the reproducing needle 7 and the operating arm 8 be moved'irom thecenter of the turntable to the starting position, the roller '12 will roll on lead screw 19, overcoming the friction caused by the spring 17 on the conical bearings 13, 13, the operating arm 8 will again engage the spring catch 39, and then upon any motion ot the reproducing needle toward the center of the turntable, the brake shoe .36 allowing the turntable and lead screw 19 to rotate, the spring 29 will be free to return the cam 32 to itsoriginal position leaving the latch 33 free to engage the brake arm35.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications ma be made to the details of construction wit out departing from the general spiritot the invention.

1 claim? 1. In a talking machine, thecombination with a liOlIl,"0if an operating arm traveling with said horn, a friction stop, means 00- operating with said operating arm to with draw saicl friction stop out of machine arresting position when said operating arm is traveling toward the center of the turn table. V

2. In a talking machine, the combination with "a horn, of anoperating arm traveling with said horn,'a friction stop, means cooperating with said operating arm to release said friction stop to stop the machine .immediately upon the arrest of movement of said operating arm outward tromthe center of the turntable.

3. In a talking machine, the combination with a horn, of an operating arm traveling with said'horn, a friction stop, a brake arm on which said friction stop is mounted, a spring catch on said brake arm, said operating arm coiiperatingwith said 5 Jring'ca tch to cause said brake arm to wit draw said friction stop out of machine arresting position, and'a latch for anchoring'said brake arm in such withdrawn position.

4. In a talking machine, the combination with a horn, of an operating arm traveling 'with such horn, a brake shoe normally oprotating in a path of movement clear of said latch, and means cooperating with said operating arm to shift said rotary cam into engagement with said latch.

5. In a talking machine, the combination with a horn, of an operating arm traveling with said horn, a brake shoe normally 0per'ating to stop the operation of the talking machine, means including a latch for anchoring said brake shoe out of machine arresting position, a lead screw rotatable during the operation of said machine and axially movable, a rotary cam on said lead screw normally rotating in a path of movement clear of said latch and operable to trip said latch when said screw is moved axially, and a knurled roller on said operating arm in mesh with said lead screw and operable to move said lead screw in an axial direction upon the arrest of said operating arm.

6. In a talking machine, the combination with the main driving hub of the machine, a brake shoe normally operating to stop the operation of the machine, means including a latch for anchoring said brake shoe out of machine arresting position, a friction wheel operatively connected with said driving hub, a crown gear on said friction wheel, a lead screw axially movable, a pinion on said lead screw in mesh with said crown gear, a rotary cam on said lead screw normally operatingin a path of movement clear of said latch, and means for transmitting axial movement to said lead screw thereby to cause said cam to trip said latch and cause said brake shoe to arrest the operation of the machine.

7. In a talking machine, the combination with the main driving hub of the machine, of a brake shoe normally operating to stop the operation of the machine, means including a latch for anchoring said brake shoe out of machine arresting position, a friction wheel operatively connected with said trio tion wheel, a rotary cam on said lead screw normally operating in a path of movement clear of said latch, and means transmitting axial movement to said lead screw thereby to cause said cam to trip said latch and cause said brake shoe to arrest the operation of the machine.

8. In a talking machine, the combination with a brake shoe normally operating to stop the operation of the machine, means including a latch for anchoring said brake shoe out of machine arresting position, a rotary cam normally operating in a path of movement clear of said latch, and means for transmitting axial movement to said cam whereby to trip said latch and cause said brake shoe to arrest the operation of the machine.

lVILLIAM C. MASON. lVitnesses:

FRANK M. RICE, WILLIAM MASON. 

